Advanced Search

K-12 Educator
K-12 Student
Museum Visitor
UMMA Docent
UMMA Staff
University Faculty
University Student
Between and Mortarboard

UMMA Object Specific Fields




Query builder

How to Use the Query Builder

Superior In-Person Experience

80 Items in this Learning Collection
Dark Presence III
An assemblage of wooden boxes painted black. The boxes are mounted on top of each other and each box contains carved pieces of wood in various shapes. 
Collection Object
A Monument in Rouen

Collection Object
Unity no. 41
Large abstract painting with an orange border that fades to purple and then becomes bright aqua-blue at the center.
Collection Object
Vase
irridescent blue vase with large mouth and large flared foot
Collection Object
Trefoil vase
Vessel with trefoil, or three-lobed, shape of transparent blue glass with an intricate plant-motif decoration and gold accents. <br />
Collection Object
Narrow-necked vase with crackled celadon glaze

Collection Object
Phelps
Pulpy paper adhered to a canvas. The paper is painted in hues of blue, pink, red, green, and yellow. Overlapping designs are stamped into the paper and a partial shape of a heart is spray-painted red in the center.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Begin the Beguine
<p>Interior composition with male and female dancers positioned at center with seated female at lower left, standing male on crutches at right and a group of birds in the leftmost background.</p>
Collection Object
Charity (La Charité)
Painting of a woman holding two sleeping nude babies, wearing white fabric draped over her head and shoulders with abundant blue-green fabric wrapped and loosely gathered around the rest of her body standing in front of a lush background with areas of blue sky peaking through the foliage.
Collection Object
Untitled
Two sets of concentric arcs of bright colors radiate toward one another from the lower left corner and the upper right corner.
Collection Object
Beach Accident, Coney Island, New York
Aerial view of a beach on which a swimming accident has occurred. A group of people swarm to the central location and focal point of the photograph, where the injured person lies.
Collection Object
Alber's Chain
Multi-colored fabric pieces hung loosely together in a horizontal format. Colors include red, orange, blue, green, black, purple, pink and various other combinations of these colors.
Collection Object
Pieced quilt in variable star pattern with saw-tooth border

Collection Object
What We All Lack (Ce qui manque à nous tous)
A clear glass bubble rests on the bowl of a plain white clay pipe. Along the stem of the pipe are the words, "Ce que [sic] manque à nous tous."
Collection Object
Ice House
A small urban house is seen in a nocturnal view set in winter. The house is covered with icicles hang from the gables and over the first floor windows and door. There is no illumination from inside the house, although there are lights in adjacet houses; the house is illuminated by a cool white light that, along with the house, illuminates the chain-link fence to the right and the trees flanking the house.
Collection Object
Yellow Meander
This work is a square, abstract composition with thick, overlapping yellow and gray lines in a labyrinthine pattern. The print is signed and dated (l.r.) "Anni Albers 1970." and titled and numbered (l.l.) "Yellow Meander 51/75" in pencil.
Collection Object
October
This abstract color lithograph is made up of swirling lines and patterns of white, black, orange, pink and green inks. These forms make up an all-over image and appear similar to splatters or drips of ink. The print is signed and dated (l.r.) "Tobey 1970" and editioned (l.l.) "19/200" in pencil.
Collection Object
Untitled, from "The New York Collection for Stockholm: 30 Artists"
A print of a man posing juxtaposed with a black and white geometric design in the lower right hand corner. The man is printed in red ink. <br /><br /> EC 2017
Collection Object
Self-Portrait
This photograph depicts a window of a house with the photographer’s reflection cast in it. Also visible in the reflection are the white picket fence and trees behind the photographer, as well as objects inside the interior of the house.
Collection Object
If Nothing Changes, It Changes Nothing (Sweater)
Long sleeve knit sweater, navy blue on top and red on bottom with red and white striped cuffs on the sleeves. There is a pattern of white stars on the front of the sweater, along with the words IF NOTHING CHANGES outlined in white. The back of the sweater also has a pattern of white stars along with the words 2008 IT CHANGES NOTHING outlined in white.
Collection Object
Shallow bowl with floral arabesque pattern

Collection Object
The Wonderfulness of Downtown
An image of a drawn map of New York City featuring a compass, three ships, and a person in armor with a photographed face collaged on top of it. Photographs depicting New York City landscapes are collaged across the map.
Collection Object
One of a Pair of Casement Windows from the Darwin Martin House, Buffalo, NY
One of a pair of windows with a highly regular, rectilinear, although asymetric, design in both clear and colored glass. Window has an oak frame. Window design consists of vertical and horizontal bands of green and amber colorerd glass at top and bottom of window; along one side are colored squares of glass; along the other is a chevron-shaped column of glass. The overall effect is of colored pieces of glass suspended within a clear window subdivided by abstract bands and patterns of lead caming.
Collection Object
Girl in Green Wind (large)
A girl with her head and body in profile with her head streached in front of her body and hair flowing behind her. Her black hair is outlined with blue and is used to show texture. Her clothing is black, green, and yellow. Behind her is a an overlapping of sunflowers.
Collection Object
Rice Cake Mold
A small glazed porcelain piece resembling a cake stand. The top is detailed with a carved pattern that would imprint the rice cake being molded on it.<br /> <br /> Rice cake stamps are used to impress designs upon rice cakes. They are generally made of wood or ceramic. Ceramic rice cake stamps normally come in the form of round stamps and consist of a patterned surface and a handle. Patterns, carved or raised, on the stamp vary from geometric lines to auspicious designs that wish for prosperity and longevity. Their small size makes them highly portable, while their simple yet contemporary designs have mad them popular among collectors. The University of Michigan Museum of Art collection includes nine white porcelain rice cake stamps. Some are gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Hasenkamp, and others are gifts from Ok Ja Chang and the Chang family.<br /> <br /> Glaze has been removed from the foot rim, on which fine sand spur marks remain.<br /> <br /> [Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2014)
Collection Object
Deeda Blair
A photograph of the back of a woman wearing a dark dress with a floral pattern.
Collection Object
Small White Square (Wedding Dress)
This is a square shaped print in tones of white, beige and brown. It shows a lacy floral pattern with white dots that resemble pearls.
Collection Object
Construction #45
This is an abstract metallic sculpture with a black square base. The silver metal of the sculpture is little thicker than wire and forms two into intersecting circular shapes.
Collection Object
Untitled
This sculpture consists of a red bird cage stand with a half-circle red cage on top. Inside the cage, there is a plastic green, yellow and red airplane toy hanging from the top. There is a white and black figure inside the plane. The work is signed by the artist in black paint at the base: "Tyree Guyton".
Collection Object
Iridescent round ball corner ink well with lid
This is a clear glass inkwell with a dark metal lid. The body is composed of a large sphere balanced on three smaller spheres. It has a circular top with a flat lid.<br />
Collection Object
Iridescent Glass Inkwell with purple-gray iridescent, gold ram head stopper
An iridescent glass inkwell with a gold lid. The base is purplish-gray while the lid has a ram's head engraved on it.
Collection Object
Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California
This photograph depicts a view of a hilly landscape and a long fence that curves throughout the countryside and into the distance. The fence is made of steel cable and poles with a wall of white fabric hung throughout its length.  
Collection Object
In a Catholic hospital in Koln, W. Germany 1963
An older woman lies in bed as a younger woman attaches tubing to her arm. A large metal canister is to her right, while a small bottle of clear liquid hangs from a metal pole on her left. Another young woman looks up at it.
Collection Object
Cary Grant as a male war bride
This photolithographic print in pink, red, orange and yellow is made of four main parts. A series of patterns from stripes at the top to small to tiny polka dots at the bottom make up the background. The stripes are in all the colors of the print, where the dots are only in orange and red. At the top left, there are a series of fragments of geometric scenes. In the bottom left, in orange, red and yellow, there is a bird, likely a parakeet. Then to the right at the bottom, there are two photographs of white men. On the right, there is a photograph of an older man with one pair of prescription glasses on and a pair of sunglasses resting on his forehead with the text below that reads: "<em>Stravinsky: Restoration and adaptation</em> / librettos ('Moses und Aron,' 'Die Glückliche Hand,' 'Die Jacobsleiter,' 'Les Noces,' 'Renard'). / 9. Each of us worked with concreteness of sound, unlike the last Webern where choice of sound seems to be a final stage." On the left, there is a man in three-quarter view with sholder
Collection Object
Black Nagoya-style obi with appliquéd pathces woven in varied designs
Black plain-weave satin with appliqued patches in abstract geometric shapes, with woven floral, geometric, and landscape designs.
Collection Object
Miniature jar with cover, decorated with figures of boy acrobats
Miniature rounded jar with cover, decorated with blue figures of boy acrobats.
Collection Object
Imperial Winter Dragon Robe

Collection Object
Artichoke
A color photograph featuring an artichoke head in the center. The artichoke is mostly white and the rest of the image is blue.
Collection Object
Where She Lives

Collection Object
Ghada
Portrait of a middle-aged woman. She looks into the camera lens; her dark hijab disappears into the dark background. Persian calligraphy is inscribed subtly over her skin in ink.
Collection Object
Angel
A color photograph with hues of blue and white featuring a figure with wings. The figure is encircled by white and appears to glow.
Collection Object
The Seniors Project (24)
An image of a woman with short gray hair wearing a brown jacket, blue dress, and red hat sitting on an outdoor stone platform. In the background are four other people, speaking to each other.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Untitled
White glazed porcelain pitcher with two different black silhouette faces in profile, one on each side.
Collection Object
Journey of Life (left of a pair)

Collection Object
Blue and Red Hackers Ax
A red and blue painted object with matte and shiny finishes. A long wooden ax handle attached to a computer keyboard wrapped with a curly telephone cord towards the base of the handle.
Collection Object
Kiva
An installation piece that consists of a television monitor on a stand with a closed-circuit camera mounted on top. The lens is pointed directly off the top of the monitor, but there are mirrors suspended from the ceiling that change the camera's perspective.
Collection Object
Ark of Triumph

Collection Object
Possum
A hairlike, lightbrown material on a wood board giving the appearance of an animal&#39;s face with protruding ears.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Untitled
three aluminum-painted canvas panels joined in the back to form a square, with five inlays of Sculptmetal, zinc photographic plates and lead
Collection Object
Handle with Care

Collection Object
Visible Markers

Collection Object
Erosion

Collection Object
Untitled

Collection Object
Michaela and Collin
This photograph is of two children in an enclosed porch. A young girl rests her head on a ledge, while a young boy stands behind her to the right, holding a toy bow and arrow close to her head.
Collection Object
Winged Ones
Black and white image of a child looking out a window with white wings superimposed on her back and a white insect watching her.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Untitled
A hexagonal canvas with multi-colored lines breaking the surface into three individual, identically-sized sections. Two of the sections are primarily green and one is primarily gray.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Untitled
Strips of overlapping, multi-colored paper on a white background, the paper is blue, pink, purple, green, orange, and black.
Collection Object
Fences

Collection Object
Anton's Letter
A glass sculpture of a figure. The background is rectangular in shape and there is a man standing in front holding a sign. The pieces of metal are imbedded in the glass and have colors of blues, reds, blacks, purples and pinks.
Collection Object
Safety Pin

Collection Object
Napoleon Standing Next to Chair
This large, multi-media work shows two sketches of the well-known image of Napoleon with his righ hand tucked in his vest. The image on the left is just a sketch outlined in dark blue spray paint while on the right is a more detailed color rendering outlined in light blue. On the far right is a chair. The name “DAVID” is stenciled at bottom left of center. 
Collection Object
Untitled, Sounding Sculpture

Collection Object
Alice
Larger section of the background of piece. Orange in color and organic in shape.
Collection Object
Cronopios
A purple omeba-shaped form that has mutli-colored circles and blue designs on top. It hangs on a wall on top of a vinyl rectangle that has similar designs.
Collection Object
Black Excursion No. 13
Square, rectangular, and circular pieces of wood and formica are assembled in rectilinear, cabinet-like compartments. The entire object is painted black.
Collection Object
Tarzana

Collection Object
Notions

Collection Object
Ueno Zoo
Stylized red lion on a blue background above the text &quot;UENO ZOO&quot; in white lettering.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Kazumasa Nagai Design Life
Orange deer with purple spots, antlers, and articulated teeth on a yellow background.&nbsp;
Collection Object
Close-up of Japan, London 1985
Geometric shapes creating the image of a samurai with a red and green robe on a yellow background. 
Collection Object
Table, Notebook and Pencil
A curved wooden table with a red notebook and a pencil.
Collection Object
La Fortaleza
A two-point perspective drawing of a big yellow building with red rooftop around the corner on the street.
Collection Object
The Lord's Prayer, sheet 10 - For Thine Is the Kingdom (Das Vaterunser - Denn Dein ist das Reich)
A man, a woman, and a child facing the viewer with their hands folded in prayer. The man and woman sit on a mattress and look to heaven. The child stands in front of them with his head bowed. Next to the child is a diminutive cow. In the background behind the family are images of fish and birds.
Collection Object
Shoot IV, from "Shoot"

Collection Object
Seule

Collection Object
Untitled(Praying Women)

Collection Object
Ile de la Cité

Collection Object
Mirror Image

Collection Object
Invariables
A man in the center with geometric shapes around, other figures with different facial expressions.
Collection Object
A Stag at Sharkey's
Two boxers trade punches in a ring with the referee close behind and the crowd cheering. One boxer is pushing the other with his forearm.
Collection Object

Copyright
All Rights Reserved ()

Alber's Chain

Accession Number
2008/2.308A

Title
Alber's Chain

Artist(s)
Sam Gilliam

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
2008

Medium & Support
acrylic on nylon

Dimensions
242 in x 94 ¼ in (614.68 cm x 239.4 cm);94 ¼ in x 47 ¾ in (239.4 cm x 121.29 cm);94 ¼ in x 242 in (239.4 cm x 614.68 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Larry and Brenda Thompson

Label copy
Sam Gilliam
United States, born 1933
Alber’s Chain
2008
Acrylic on nylon
Gift of Larry and Brenda Thompson, 2008/2.308
Sam Gilliam moved to Washington DC in 1962 and subsequently became associated with the group of painters known as the Washington Color School. Part of the greater Color Field movement of the 1950s and 1960s, these artists adopted and extended the soaking and staining techniques of Abstract Expressionist painters like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Resolutely abstract, Color Field painting is characterized by large areas or “fields” of pure color stained or poured directly onto the canvas.
This emphasis on color saturation is evident in Alber’s Chain, one of Gilliam’s “drape” paintings, which he has made since the late 1960s. While these works highlight the artist’s interest in materials, process, and the expressive power of color, they also move beyond the traditional two-dimensional boundaries of modernist painting. In a radical move, Gilliam decided to remove the stretcher bar. The voluminous, richly hued fabric is attached directly to the wall, innovatively blurring the line between painting, sculpture, and architecture as it moves into the shared space of the viewer.
(6/28/10)

Subject matter
Abstraction

Physical Description
Multi-colored fabric pieces hung loosely together in a horizontal format. Colors include red, orange, blue, green, black, purple, pink and various other combinations of these colors.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
abstract

Additional Object Classification(s)
Mixed Media

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

7 Related Resources

& Author Notes

All Rights Reserved